Poetry Pea - haiku and other English Language Japanese short forms

In this episode of Poetry Pea, the leading English-language haiku podcast, Patricia asks can a single line hold an entire world?
In this special Poetry Pea podcast, we explore the art of the one-line haiku and senryū through a carefully curated selection of original poems chosen from our latest submission period.
Writing a successful one-line poem is far more challenging than it appears. In this episode you'll hear the poems selected for publication, discover why some stood out from hundreds of submissions, and listen to commentary exploring what makes an effective one-liner.
This episode also features:
Judges' Choices nominations from Clive Grewcock, Lee Hudspeth, Johnny Moran and David Green
Commentary from the Poetry Pea editorial team member and guest contributor Lev Hart
Insights into the craft of contemporary haiku and senryū
Whether you're an experienced haiku poet or just beginning your journey, these original poems demonstrate the precision, surprise and resonance that make one-line haiku so compelling.
Poetry Pea is one of the world's leading podcasts dedicated to haiku, senryū and Japanese short-form poetry, featuring poetry readings, interviews, craft discussions and inspiration for writers at every stage.
Poet's featured today:
John S Green
Clive Grewcock
Sheikha A
Susan Andrews
Cynthia Anderson
Emil Karla 
Peter Jastermsky
Adele Gallogly 
Steve Bahr
Gavin Austin
Deborah A Bennett
Rowan Beckett Minor
Jill Muhrer
Michael Muller
Stephanie Zepherelli
Lee Hudspeth
Jacek Margolak
Neena Singh
CX Turner
Jamie Wimberley
Sara Winteridge
Robert Witmer
Anna Yin
Nitu Yumnam
Pegah Rahmati Nezhad
Deborah Karl-Brandt
Lori Kiefer
Martina Matijević
Rob McKinnon
Lorraine Haig
Tony Williams
Rupa Anand
Kimberly Kuchar
Mary Oishi
Rebecca Upjohn
Katie Montagna 
Maria Cristina Pulvirenti
Jenny Shepherd
Norman Silver
Lisa Billa
Jennifer L Blanck
Marc Brimble
Mariangela Canzi 
Erin Castaldi
Tim Cremin
Christopher Seep
Laurinda Lind
Johnny Moran
petro ck
Tracy Davidson
Melissa Dennison
Joan C. Fingon
Mark Forrester
Denisa Hanšutová
Jon Hare
Maeve O'Sullivan
Florence Heyhoe
Louise Hopewell
Lakshmi Iyer
Celia Jenkins
Deborah Karl-Brandt
Mark Gilbert
Arvinder Kaur
Rohan Buettel
Richard Tice
Biswajit Mishra
David Green

In this episode, In this episode of Poetry Pea, the leading English-language haiku podcast, Patricia McGuire shares the haiku and senryū selected from the June 2026 Poetry Pea Video Prompt, beautifully curated by Lakshmi Iyer.
Expect poems filled with birdsong, summer heat, nesting season, squirrels, sparrows, warblers and the small moments that make haiku so memorable. Alongside the selected poems, Patricia also reads a collection of bonus sparrow haiku by contemporary poets and classics from Bashō and Buson.
If today's episode inspires you, why not join the next Poetry Pea Video Prompt? New prompts appear on the Poetry Pea YouTube channel almost every month, and your haiku could be featured on a future Poetry Pea Podcast and published in the Poetry Pea Journal.
Whether you're an experienced haiku poet or just discovering the genre, this episode is a joyful celebration of observation, nature and the Poetry Pea community.
Poets featured:
Neena Singh
Ralph Mathews
Alicia Samson
Rupa Anand
Rupa Anand
Reid Hepworth
Vaishnavi Ramaswamy
Susanne Urowitz
Seamus O' Connor
Mona Bedi
Melissa Dennison
Joanna Ashwell
Mary Oishi
Joshua St. Claire
Jo Balistreri
Buson, Trs Michael Haldane
Keith Evetts
Bruce H Feingold
Bill Fay
Craig Kittner
Isabel Caves
Kristen Lindquist
David Oates, PPJ
Sankara Jayanth
Basho, Trs David Landis Barnhill

In this episode of Poetry Pea, the leading English-language haiku podcast, Patricia asks what makes a haiku a haiku? Is there really a difference between traditional and contemporary haiku, or have we complicated something that was once quite simple?
In this episode of the Poetry Peacast, Patricia explores the essential elements of the Japanese haiku tradition, discussing the must haves of haiku.
Drawing on the work of Haruo Shirane, William J. Higginson, Michael Dylan Welch and Robert D. Wilson, she examines why seasonality matters, how the cut creates resonance, and why these techniques continue to give haiku their unique emotional power.
Along the way, Patricia analyses poems by Buson, Bashō, Den Sutejo, Katayama Yumiko, Don Baird, Neena Singh, Meera Rehm, Bruce H. Feingold and Bisshie, sharing practical insights that will help you read and write stronger haiku.
Whether you're new to haiku or a long-time practitioner, this thoughtful discussion invites you to reconsider what truly defines the genre.
In this episode:
What kigo really contributes to a haiku
The purpose of the kireji, or cut
Why sensory imagery matters
Close readings of classic and modern haiku
Practical inspiration for your own writing
Subscribe to the Poetry Peacast for weekly episodes exploring haiku, senryū, tanka, haibun and the craft of Japanese short-form poetry.
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show notes

In this episode of the Poetry Pea Podcast, Patricia McGuire introduces the remarkable poetry of Anne McKay, an award-winning Canadian poet whose lyrical haiku and haiku-inspired poetry deserve to be much better known.

She explores a selection of Anne McKay's haiku, looking at her evocative imagery, her musical use of language, her distinctive use of white space, and the subtle techniques that make her poems linger long after they've been read. Along the way, Patricia reflects on reading haiku aloud, the role of punctuation in contemporary haiku, and white space.

Whether you're new to Anne McKay's work or already a fan, this episode offers a thoughtful exploration of a poet whose quiet observations should inspire readers around the world.

Don't forget to visit the Poetry Pea YouTube channel and take part in this month's video prompt. Guest editor Matt Snyder is looking forward to reading your haiku, senryū and haibun, and your poem could be selected for publication in the next Poetry Pea Journal and featured on a future Poetry Pea Podcast.

If you enjoy the podcast, please follow, rate and leave a review. It helps other poetry lovers discover the show.

In this episode:
• Anne McKay's haiku and poetic style
• Reading haiku aloud
• White space, sound and punctuation in haiku
• Haiku technique and close reading
• This month's Poetry Pea video prompt

Keep writing.

Rivers have always carried stories. In this episode of the Poetry Pea Podcast, we follow their winding course through a carefully curated collection of contemporary haiku and senryū, alongside classic poems that continue to inspire writers today.
These tiny poems explore rivers as places of connection and separation, memory and movement, peace and conflict. From quiet birdsong to distant sirens, from bridges that unite to waters that divide, each haiku offers a fresh perspective on one of poetry's oldest and richest images.
Featured poets:
Johnny Moran
Kim Klugh
Melissa Dennison
Mona Bedi
Rupa Anand
Jacek Margolak
Anjali Warhadpande
Paul Callus
Lakshmi Iyer
Sandip Chauhan
Vikram Kolmannskog
Arvinder Kaur
Vaishnavi Ramaswamy, India
Tony Williams
Corinne Timmer 
Minal Sarosh
Ian Richardson
Rowan Beckett Minor, PPJ 3:25
Anna Maria Domburg-Sancristoforo
Anthony Lusardi
Robin Rich
Caroline Ridley-Duff
Janice Doppler
Okamoto Kanoko, trs Makoto Ueda 
Maya Daneva
Buson, trs RH Blyth 
Roger Ishii
David Cox

If you write haiku, senryū or Japanese short-form poetry, this episode is full of inspiration for your own writing. And don't forget to visit the Poetry Pea YouTube channel to take part in this month's video prompt, guest-edited by Lakshmi Iyer—there's still time to leave your poem in the comments.
Subscribe to the Poetry Pea Podcast for weekly episodes celebrating haiku, senryū, haibun, tanka, poetry craft, interviews with leading poets, and practical inspiration for writers at every stage of their journey.
See you next week.
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